Dover man indicted in murder of UNH student

DOVER - More than six months after University of New Hampshire student Elizabeth "Lizzi" Marriott, 19, disappeared, a local man is under indictment for murder, accused of strangling her with a rope during a sexual assault.

Seth Mazzaglia, 30, was indicted by a Strafford County grand jury last week on two counts of first degree murder, one count of second degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit hindering apprehension or prosecution.

The murder charges allege different theories of the crime.

The first degree murder indictments allege first, that Mazzaglia purposely caused Marriott's death by strangling her in his Dover apartment on Oct. 9, and that, second, he committed the crime before, after or while engaged in the commission of, or while attempting to commit, felonious sexual assault.

According to the indictments, Mazzaglia subjected, or attempted to subject, Marriott to sexual contact and caused serious physical injury to Marriott while overcoming her through the actual application of physical force, physical violence, or superior physical strength.

Police said the murder happened on Oct. 9, the last day Marriott's family heard from her. Mazzaglia was arrested on Oct. 13 and an extensive search began for Marriott's body off the coast of Peirce Island in Portsmouth based on "credible information." But her body was never found.

Mazzaglia's girlfriend at the time of the murder, Kathryn "Kat" McDonough, 19, of Portsmouth, was indicted earlier this month in Rockingham County Superior Court on charges related to hindering apprehension and/or prosecution and witness tampering.

According to the fourth complaint filed against Mazzaglia, around 11:05 p.m. on Oct. 9, after Mazzaglia killed Marriott, McDonough used her cell phone to create and send a text message to Marriott's cell phone, in substance asking why Marriott did not show up for her planned visit to Mazzaglia and McDonough's apartment.

The complaint also alleges the couple deleted text messages on their cell phones in which they discussed Marriott's planned visit.

Mazzaglia and McDonough also are accused of using Marriott's car to transport her body from Dover to Peirce Island, where they dumped it into the river. They then abandoned Marriott's car in a parking lot at UNH, where police later found it.Police allege Mazzaglia and McDonough discarded numerous items in various dumpsters in Portsmouth, Durham and Dover, including a suitcase and tarp used to transport Marriott, the rope Mazzaglia allegedly used to kill her, and clothing and other items belonging to Mazzaglia, McDonough and Marriott, including Marriott?s cell phone and GPS navigation system.

Police said McDonough and Mazzaglia concocted an alibi regarding their whereabouts the day Marriott was murdered, a story they maintained when they were questioned by investigators on two different occasions.

Later in October, McDonough met with members of Mazzaglia's defense team and told them in substance that Marriott died during a consensual sexual encounter, according to court documents.

The second degree murder charge filed against Mazzaglia states he caused Marriott's death under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life.

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